The Savior's Witness of the Written Word

I’m impressed by the Lord’s emphasis on the scriptures and the written word in His teachings to the Nephites.  We see this perhaps most clearly in the way that He interviewed Nephi about the record that was being kept of the people.  We read, “He said unto Nephi: Bring forth the record which ye have kept.  And when Nephi had brought forth the records, and laid them before him, he cast his eyes upon them and said:  Verily I say unto you, I commanded my servant Samuel, the Lamanite, that he should testify unto this people, that at the day that the Father should glorify his name in me that there were many saints who should arise from the dead, and should appear unto many, and should minister unto them. And he said unto them: Was it not so?”  When Nephi admitted that this had not been written down, “Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded” (3 Nephi 23:7-13).  It wasn’t good enough that the people knew the prophecy and knew that it had been fulfilled—it needed to be written down.  He seemed to be teaching that there is power in the word written down through the inspiration of the Spirit. 

               The Savior further showed His focus on the written word as He quoted the writings of Old Testament prophets again and again to the Nephites.  He quoted from the writings the Nephites already had on the brass plates, including extensively from Isaiah.  The Savior said, “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah” (3 Nephi 23:1).  He also quoted several verses from Micah 4-5 (see 3 Nephi 20:16-19) and even a verse from Habakkuk 1 (3 Nephi 21:9).  He wanted the people to have other scriptures that they had missed because they left Jerusalem, and so he said, “Behold, other scriptures I would that ye should write, that ye have not” (3 Nephi 23:6).  He then quoted two full chapters of Malachi and commented, “These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations” (3 Nephi 26:2).  He, who inspired the ancient prophets to write the scriptures, showed just how important the scriptural record is for us. 

               As He met with the Nephite disciples, He continued His emphasis on the scriptures by encouraging them to continue keeping a record of the people.  He instructed them, “Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden.  Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been.  For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men.  And behold, all things are written by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written shall the world be judged” (3 Nephi 27:23-26).  I’m certain that I don’t understand the full import of those declarations.  In some way we will be judged out of written books—this may mean that we will be judged based on the scriptural instructions we have before us, or perhaps it means that our own lives will be recorded and used to judge us.  What he meant by the declaration that “all things are written by the Father,” but this statement at least suggests that the written word is just as important to the Father as to the Son.  We have a great responsibility both to cherish the written word of the scriptures that we have and to write the record of our own lives for those who come after us.